June 26, 2026, (Inside AI) —
Italy will join the U.S.-led Pax Silica AI supply chain initiative, a foreign ministry official confirmed, despite a public rift between Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ambassador Armando Varricchio, Italy’s special envoy for innovation, told Corriere della Sera that Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will sign a memorandum of understanding “at the first available opportunity.”
“This provides a political basis that demonstrates the willingness to resume from where we had temporarily left off,” Varricchio said.
The pact signals Rome’s intent to secure critical AI supply chains despite transatlantic tensions. Italy was originally set to join on Monday in Miami, but Tajani canceled after Meloni and Trump clashed over Italy’s perceived lack of support for the Iran war.
Pax Silica, a State Department effort, unites allies to safeguard AI-related supply chains spanning energy, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing, and AI models. The European Commission joined on Thursday, and the Netherlands signed earlier in the week.
Varricchio attended a Washington summit as an observer on Thursday, signing a joint declaration on AI opportunities with Britain, Germany, Japan, India, South Korea, and others. The declaration underscores shared goals for resilient AI infrastructure.
The initiative reflects Washington’s push to counter China’s dominance in AI hardware and rare earth elements. By securing supply chains from mine to model, Pax Silica aims to reduce dependencies on adversarial nations.
Italy’s participation adds a G7 economy to the coalition, bolstering European alignment. However, the Meloni-Trump spat highlights fragile diplomatic undercurrents that could complicate future collaboration on technology standards.
Analysts note that Italy’s move may pressure other EU nations to join, accelerating a bloc-wide approach. Yet, the absence of a signed agreement leaves room for further delays if political frictions resurface.
The joint declaration also referenced AI safety and ethical frameworks, though details remain sparse. Varricchio’s observer status suggests Italy will transition to full membership once the memorandum is finalized.
Reporting by Giulia Segreti in Rome; Editing by Alvise Armellini and David Goodman.
